Oct

Tuesday Town Hall 3…A US President Should Worship Who?

Posted by: Sonny in Election, Faith, Politics, Townhall Tuesday

Here we are again. I want to say thank you once again for all of the insightful comments last week about the Starbucks issue. While important, it was also a little less intense than some of what I seem to put forth. And don’t forget, your comments are not only appreciated but desired on all posts.

As for this week, I thought we would take a look at the election process. Not politics per se, but just a question about whether we should look for one thing in a presidential candidate or not. Next week the people of this country will be electing our next president. Each individual has a certain list of things they will base their choice on. Some of these things are strictly personal, some are based on political party affiliation, some on economic policy, some on fringe agendas, and the list could go on forever.

But I want to discuss one thing in particular.

The president of the United States of America is the president of all, I repeat, ALL citizens of this nation. All ethnic persuasions, all ages and sexes, and all religious groups. The Christians, the Muslims, the Hindus, the Buddhists, and even the atheists all have to rely on him to do the work he is elected to do for them, whoever they might be and no matter who they worship.

So the question is this;

Should it matter what faith a candidate subscribes to?

Additionally, how much does it matter to you, if you believe that it does?

Please remember to be irenic and say what you have to say as if you were discussing it with Jesus.

What say you?

Love you all.

Tags: Election, Faith, Government, Leadership, Politics, Townhall, Vote

This entry was posted on Tuesday, October 28th, 2008 at 12:02 am and is filed under Election, Faith, Politics, Townhall Tuesday. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

13 comments so far

Connie

Personally, I would love it if the leaders of our country were Christ Followers and were bold enough to show it. Wouldn’t you love to see just one president, or senator, or representative, or a supreme court judge dancing in the Spirit :jump:

But our President’s job is not to get us to heaven, but to be responsible for our country’s welfare and safety. This can be done (even when poorly done) regardless if he/she is Pentecostal, Catholic, Methodist, Atheiest, Muslim, etc. Our laws prevent our leaders from forcing their personal religeous views on the people of this country (so far).

Romans 13:1-2 says, “Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.”

My interpretation of this is that God is in control no matter who is in office. He will take care of us no matter what. It may not always be what WE want, but it will always be what HE wants.

Proverbs 29:2 says, “When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn”. The Bible also says that there is a time to rejoice and a time to mourn. This may be our season to mourn; or maybe not. We will know soon.

That being said, my answer to your question is “No”. I don’t think is matters which faith a candidate belongs to. All powers are ordained of God.

Love You,
Connie

P.S. I continue to look forward to this blog every day. It gives me an opportunity to think and research the Word a little more than I usually do.

October 28th, 2008 at 11:23 am

Sabrina

Yes, it matters to me. Why? Because I want someone in office fighting for my Christian values. Remember in the OT all the kings that worshipped anything and everything besides GOD? Look at what happened to them and their countries. Do you want it to happen to us? Again? Every election brings more and more people that do not believe in God or obey Him. Our country was founded on Christian values and our country continues to fall away more and more from that.

Obama supports abortion (including infanticide and partial abortion) but calls himself a Christian. He is also a closet Muslim. He supports them and even quotes their bible. The only time I heard him quote the Bible, the Word of God, he mocked it. :Angry:

McCain has stated he is not a religious man but he will stand up for most of the Christian values. (The others parties I do not much about. )

I like Palin the best. Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin describes herself as a “hard-core pro-lifer” and expresses confidence that in spite of disheartening polls, “putting this in God’s hands, that the right thing for America will be done at the end of the day on Nov. 4.”

I recieved an email for all Christians at eight o’clock every night to pray for this country. That God will take care of us at this trying time. I recieved the email from two different people month apart. I pray every night no matter what I am doing to pray for this country. :angel:

All I can do is continue to pray and put trust in God to take of me no matter who is voted president. :halo:

With love and prayers for all, Sabrina

October 28th, 2008 at 11:33 am

Sabrina

Yes, there are systems in place so no president can force his religion on us but everyday there is more people in the Senate and Congress, not to mention the Supreme Court (which the president nomaties people for), that do not support Christain values. And if they get a high enough vote there is nothing anyone can do. That is why I believe it is better having someone that believes in the morality, which is based on Christian values, of this country in office as president. We are having God taken out of schools and courts because of so many people who do not believe in God or morals anymore. How much worse do you think it could get if someone who in office will not protect the Christians values at all?

But, I do believe God is in control and I know I can not depend on man. Man has destroyed this country one year at a time and by taking God out of everything we do.

I continue in lots of prayer for this country.

October 28th, 2008 at 11:51 am

john

im definately with Connie on this one. his faith not our busisness. he represents everyone in united states. also as christians we dont belong to this country our kingdom is somewhere els. we spend entirely too much time worrying about politics and earthly issues. (myself included in that. )

October 28th, 2008 at 5:04 pm

Tammy

I believe the candidate should be moral and preferably believe in Jehovah God, only if he upholds the laws of God.

While I can understand both issues addressed, and despising the political rhetoric and empty promises thrown about, I would like to say……

As a christian, I do not see how other christians or moral people do not see the whole picture.

If Senator McCain cannot win this election on his merit, credibility and reputation,
Senator Obama should at the very least lose the election based on his.

October 28th, 2008 at 6:14 pm

Connie

I would like to clear up one thing for those of you who misunderstood me. I personally would never vote for a person that I did not believe was a Christian, or did not have all our interests at heart; but whomever our leader is and however bad it gets, God will walk through the valley with us. He already knows the outcome.

Luz You All,
Connie

October 28th, 2008 at 6:40 pm

Justin A

Leading a nation is a big responsibility. The temptation to be corrupted by power must be great when wielding so much power. How can a leader resist that temptation without God. The leader should trust in God for his guidance. Many of our past Presidents have given credit to God for His guidance. I prefer leaders to make decisions based on what is morally good. That is hard enough for Christians. How can a non-Christian hope to act for the moral good of the nation as well as a Christian who is being led by God’s Spirit. I believe that the leadership of the Spirit would be a great help to anyone who relies on God. Hindus, Muslims, and atheists are not led by the Spirit.

When you look at some of the beliefs of the major world religions you find that their moral compass is off. Hindus believe that we are oppressed in this life because of sins in past lives. The Hindu religion teaches that helping someone in need will deprive them of the punishment that is due them. Just look at the poverty and destitution and lack of basic human rights in countries run by Hindus. I don’t want that mindset in the leaders of the U.S. The Muslim religion teaches that the Christians and Jews that do not convert should be killed. They teach that the husband should beat his wife. They teach that marriage of a man to a 9 year old girl is acceptable. I don’t want that mindset in the leaders of the U.S.

I also don’t want a “Christian in name only” to lead the nation. We are commanded by God to help those in need. When children are being slaughtered by the millions and someone votes based on whether they think they will benefit financially instead of voting for the candidate who will protect the innocent I shudder to think of them standing before God and explaining their vote.

I think the Bible makes a good case for the fact that we can influence the selection of our leaders in opposition to God’s desire.

Hosea 8:4 They have set up kings, but not by me: they have made princes, and I knew it not: of their silver and their gold have they made them idols, that they may be cut off.

We are continually told that this is a secular nation but we can only be deceived because the historical facts were removed from our history books. John Jay, the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court said it was our duty to prefer Christians as our rulers. Other founders said that our system of government would only work for a moral and religious people. Sad to say, it appears that we are going to find out the truth of their words.

Timely topic. Good job Sonny.

October 28th, 2008 at 10:22 pm

Sonny

I am just checking in here to thank you all so far for your responses. They are excellent and I am formulating a response of my own.

I am holding off in the hope that more will give their opinions. It seems that some back off a little after I say what I have to say and I don’t want that.

Your thoughts help tremendously in the formation of my own.

I love you all

October 28th, 2008 at 11:03 pm

Shelly

I voted for George W. Bush (twice) because I believed he was a sincere Christian. I do not believe that now, but that is another story. I think a person of another religion could do a good job running the country, but I think that a president should uphold the same values, morality, and pro-Life actions that we have as Christians. There is a saying that we get the leaders that we deserve. Some of us are true believers, but many Christians call themselves Christian, but are they really? Do you think our mostly secular society would choose a true Christian candidate even if one was running for office?

Love you all,
Shelly

October 29th, 2008 at 9:35 am

Dee Mimbs

Sonny, very timely topic – thanks for the discussion starter.

I have appreciated you all sharing in this discussion as this is something about which I have thought a great deal. My problem with voting for a candidate because he/she claims “Christianity” is that I think it opens us up to being deceived. What candidate would act negatively towards Christianity when it is politically expedient to be a Christian? But, our nation is changing quickly, and there could be a day when it is more politically expedient to be Muslim. What then?

I know you guys are Christians, not because you claim to be Christians, but because of how lovingly you have treated Shannon and me – because of your love for the lost. In fact, Jesus says in John 13.35 (TNIV), “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

Now, if everyone in the United States could get to know each candidate in a more intimate setting, then we would have a better knowledge of who (if any) of them are Christians, but this is a physical impossibility.

So, where does that leave us? That leaves us with the issues and policies that each candidate represents. That leaves us with how qualified a person is to lead such a large venture. That leaves us with who we think can handle an economic crisis and dwindling foreign relations and a war that keeps dragging on and on. Looking at the issues actually yields a better idea of the morality of the person than the religion that person professes.

I have known people who vote for a candidate without researching the candidate. They vote merely because the candidate is a member of a political party that these people view as “Christian.” To me, this is misguided. Research and prayer are necessary to make an educated decision.

Also, as Sonny states, the president must represent everyone in the United States – Christian or not. In light of the manner in which Christianity has been used in the past to perpetrate great evil (Crusades, etc.), this is important to remember. Whether our nation was founded as a Christian nation (and I am not so convinced that killing and almost exterminating Native Americans and having an economy based on slavery are Christian actions) or not, the fact is that this nation now has a variegated group of people who all need representation. We win people to Christ not by imposing our ideals on them but by showing how those ideals enacted in our lives can revolutionize humanity.

October 29th, 2008 at 10:42 pm

Sonny

Thanks Dee

I have missed you and Shannon and know that you have lots of things going on. What you have said here gets to the heart of the matter as put forth. Everyone so far has made valuable contributions to the discussion.

Since my thoughts seem to roam so much I am preparing a post that will address my own thoughts now.

Let me know what you all think after I post it.

Love you

October 29th, 2008 at 11:04 pm

Chris

I’ll try to be brief here. :p

I have a little background with working and exploring how the government operates through school, internships, and jobs I have held.

I have learned that there a good, wise, and moral people in all walks of life (and faiths).

Now the issue is should it matter what faith a candidate subscribes to?

Simply put – No

Just as it was stated in Federalist Paper # 51

“If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary. In framing a government, which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: you must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself.”

I do not trust the either of the two major candidates any further than I can throw them, but I have to have faith that the system will work, and that we will be protected. As long as we are free to worship or not, then there is no real issue. We cannot dictate what others believe, we just have to have faith that it will ultimately be right.

As stated before God’s leadership is supreme. If the leadership of man is in question, God’s isn’t. Am I scared for the future? Not really. I know it will all be worked out in the end.

October 31st, 2008 at 12:04 am

Sonny

This is all I am trying to say.

If you have put your trust in God and are truly serving Him, then it really doesn’t matter who is in charge.

Love you

October 31st, 2008 at 12:25 am

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We Have A King | A Sonny Disposition Oct 30 2008 / 12am:

[...] post is my response to the questions I put forth on Tuesday. And for all who responded I seriously thank you and value your input. I am not being [...]